[Avodah] kol shehu

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, May 28, 2025 at 06:01:07AM +0300, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote:
> The gemara starting in beitza (16b) discusses eruv tavshilin requiring "kol
> shehu" as a czait. Kol shehu is used in many places in the gemara and this
> is one of the few examples where it means a measurable amount. Interesting
> example of lack of consistent terminology complicating (my) understanding
> (or is it a forced interpretation to reconcile conflicting sources?)

A kezayis isn't directly a shiur on the maaseh, it's a shiur on the
cheftza. Less than a kezayis isn't okhel.

So when a speicific din refers to a mashehu of food can't be literally
a crumb.

So fasting, which is avoiding consumption, chatzi shiur assur min
haTorah. But chameitz, less than a kezayis is a derabbanan becuase
asi le'itztarufei. Or basar bechalav -- one may get hana'ah from less
than a kazayis. (Yes, I picked to cases that involve okhel but not
akhilah on purpose.)

Generalize that, and maybe you have a tool to help you think through the
question of "is this mashehu literal?" 

1- Does this issur refer to a specific kind of object?
2- Does that object have a minimal size?

Or maybe not. Maybe it's *only* the noun "okhel" that has a minimum size.
Other cases aren't crossing my mind right now.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 The goal isn't to live forever,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   the goal is to create so mething that will.
Author: Widen Your Tent
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF